Slowly and painfully
by chacra
Summary: Second part to Close your eyes. A painful truth is revealed, but is it the only one?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me: Marvel and Co!

Also still not English! So I'm very sorry for any error you will find while reading it! If you want to be my Beta be my guest! (really do NOT hesitate to contact me!)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapitre 1 : The Winter Soldier **

_He walks slowly, breathing silently, aware of his surroundings. He is a ghost. Claws ready to tear apart an enemy should he encounters one. The hair on the back of his neck is standing. The atmosphere in the building is eerie. _

_No sound, no light, no life. _

_He passes a door, and another, again and again. Then he stops._

* * *

"Men, we have our Soldier back!" a man in his forty declares as a man with black hair and a metallic arm, strapped to an electric chair, regains consciousness. At first his gaze is blurred then it clears to deadly intend.

"Kill him (ubiystva)" the first man order the soldier in Russian while showing him a picture with the target.

"Da" his raspy voice pleased the assemble men incommensurably. All look very proud of themselves.

* * *

Fury, isolated in his office aboard the helicarrier, is deep in thoughts. He has a peculiar feeling. Something is…wrong.

Sitting on his chair, he is playing with an USB key.

Coulson is slowly but surely discovering the truth to his recovery, The Avengers (alone and together) are still a pain in his backside – apart from Natasha Romanova, Stark is no longer Iron Man but also put a stop to a terrorist organization working with Extremis, there is still no lead about these mysterious death (no wounds, no toxin, nothing! How is it possible?) and the council is still on his back because of the alien invasion in New York. And now, it seems he has locked down many electronic files – confidential and extremely dangerous ones- without his knowing.

His phone rings, his answer is simple, automatic.

"Sir. Yes, I'll be there."

Putting the USB key in the invisible pocket on his shirt, he departs to the Headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D.

* * *

_This is the door. _

_Carefully he cut it open with his claws. No footsteps. No beating heart. _

_He is still alone in this labyrinth of door and laboratories. _

_Alone with many many corpses._

* * *

Steve is watching, hearing and learning.

A group of ex-soldiers, of various company and years, are in a room, sitting on uncomfortable chairs, with his new friend and fellow ex-soldier, Sam in the center.

They all take turn to talk about their experiences, the good and bad, their losses and miracles.

They leave nothing out. Their fears are exposed, raw or healed.

Hearing them, memories of happier and darker times came back to him. He would have like to have Bucky with him today, but he is on a mission for Shield, not to come back before a month at least.

Still he listens. And by listening, he learns how to let go of his past. Bit by bit. Step by step. Sam is good with giving advises or just to be there. It's clear to him, at least, that Sam did have to do the same, and in a way still does.

Accepting the past, letting it go and moving forward.

Steve frowns; he can still hear the irritating monologue of Stark junior, _Tony_ he corrects himself mentally.

Leaning poised against the entrance, arms crossed on his chest, he thinks about his last mission with Natasha and their affiliate team.

Something is wrong; the mercenaries were not behaving as he felt they should have. And the fact the Natasha had her own mission, that he knew nothing about, just pissed him off; that and the fact that the mercenaries leader slipped away.

He almost snorts out loud when he recalls his after mission meeting with Fury. Again with secrets. It seems the world resolved around them. Well, secrets and technology.

It's sad to him to think that nowadays people can't do anything without a computer or a cellphone.

A bell rings, almost startling him. He focuses back to the group, which is now exchanging "Goodbye" and pleasantry or last advice, before going past him to go back to their life.

"Hi Steve! What are you doing here? Want a rematch?" Sam asks him joyously.

"Hi Sam, maybe it's just the company I miss" he jokes.

"Man, everyone wants a piece of me!" is his answer.

They laugh good-naturally, and talk about for many hours. Before, finally after dinner, going they separate way in good mood.

Steve takes his time going home, enjoying the evening and the calm.

In the corridor, he passes his neighbor; a sweet looking blonde nurse, with a sweet smile; he fumbles a bit, but managed to invite her to a cup of coffee for the day after tomorrow. He loses his smile when he hears music in his flat.

Cautiously, he opens the door.

* * *

Natasha is running full speed, taking absolutely no care for the ones in her way.

She dives onwards, towards the imposing silhouette of Steve Rogers. And stops. She swallows back a gasp.

"No no nonono" she surprised herself whispering while watching the man - who gave her the chance to work for her redemption, to absolute her past crimes- being operated on.

Soon Maria joins them, and they all witness Fury losing the fight.

Dying.

The carefully bland tone of the doctor when he finally calls the death breaks her heart.

Fury is dead.

_Fury_ is _dead_.

Even emotional, she still sees Steve in the corner of her eyes clenching something in his hand.

She made herself go away first, but stay in the vicinity to watch him.

Invisible to him and all the other agents, as only an assassin can be.

Once he is gone, she goes to the vending machine and recuperates what she now knows is the USB key she gave to Fury, discreetly without being seen.

She will make sure to make them pay. And she knows that Steve and this key have the answers.

After all, Fury would not have gone to Rogers without being sure that there is a mole in Shield, else he would just have gone to her and Maria.

Not even an hour later, she manages to contact Stark and put the tower on lock down. No one can enter, and no one can leave. Hopefully, Stark being the paranoid little bugger he is, he did manage to drive out all Shield staff.

* * *

"Stop Captain, I'm not an enemy alright! And this USB key? I was the one to give it to Fury! From our last mission, I - just like you- want to know why they killed him for it!"

"He told me I couldn't trust anyone."

"Do you trust me? Do you trust Tony?"

"Three years ago, I would have said no."

"And now?"

"Where are we meeting him?"

* * *

"Well kiddies, this is a sentient program. I can't fucking open it, not even with JARVIS. But I can guide you where you need to go to read it."

"Where, Tony?"

"Well, Boyscout, your former military camp."

"Thank you Tony. Do you have the phones?"

"Yeah yeah, do not frowns so much Nat, you're too pretty, here kiddies! Latest Stark technology, invisible to anything and anyone other than JARVIS; with JARVIS in live! Oh, before I forget, here catch!"

Steve catches car keys, with a little American shield on it.

"And Steve" the seriousness of Tony voice and behavior makes him listen closely. "call us when you need us."

* * *

"Good work Soldier, now here is your next mission."

Once again the Soldier is given a photo, but this time with a location and a time.

* * *

Steve and Natasha stares in horror at the images there are presented with.

Shield had been infiltrated since its creation by Hydra!

Steve feels rage inside of him. For Stark, Peggy and countless other friends of him, who gave everything they had to found Shield, to have it recognized by the government and to finally find out that Hydra had dared defiled it!

Steve never regrets anything more than not having killed that Nazi scientist when he had had the chance!

Before they get the time to do anything, a missile is on almost on them.

Steve managed in extremis to save them. And they find themselves very lucky to have park the car way out of the camp, else they would have been taken prisoners by Hydra.

"We need help" Natasha says when they are near the city.

"Yes, but who?"

"Not an Avengers, someone they don't know about and won't see coming."

There is silence but then Steve pushes the accelerator pedal.

"I know exactly who to ask. Phone Tony, they need to know what we find out."

* * *

_His eyes adjust to the dark, there are no corpses in this room, just a tank and several medical hoses. _

_Still, he looks carefully around for anything that might be dangerous. _

_Slowly he approaches the tank._

_No windows, nothing to help him see what's inside. _

_And his instinct tells him that there __**is**__ something inside. _

_Carefully, his left hand grips the handle -while his right hand is ready for anything - and just as slowly, he opens it._

* * *

Steve hits the door, while Natasha stands guard discreetly.

It opens on a very cautious and curious Sam Wilson.

"We need your help." Says Steve.

"Okay, come on."

"I believed you were a pilot." Says Steve.

"Ah no, never said I was a pilot!" said Sam with a little smile while he watches them read his files.

"That will come in handy." Is all Natasha has to say.

"Where can we found it?"

"The last model is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded doors and a steel chamber of 30cm " Came Sam confident reply.

Natasha shrugged at Steve interrogation look.

"Okay, no problem." Says Captain America.

* * *

Natasha had to admit, it was very satisfying to push agent Stillwell over the building.

She wishes that Falcon didn't caught him and let him fall to his death…. Alas he still does have some very precious information about Hydra plans, so she contents herself by snapping his neck after he finishes talking.

Sam, Steve and her exchanges glances, this will be hard.

This time, they do need help.

This time, they need all the Avengers.

* * *

"Did you find Bucky?" asks Steve, while Natasha, Clint and Sam exchanges weapons.

"Sorry Buddy, didn't." is Tony reply.

"But, you have an idea-"

"And I'll be the one to tell you where he is."

They all stop. No way.

NO fucking way!

But yes, just behind them, with Agent Hill, is Director Fury! Alive! With an arm in a cast and still moving slowly compared to usual, but ALIVE!

"The fuck one eye? Weren't you supposed to be dead? Can't you just stay dead? What is it? Resurrection day?"

"It seems, M. Stark that it wasn't my time. I suspected that some higher up where mole, I just didn't imagine that they could be so high in the hierarchy. This is why, Agent Hill and a trust doctor help me fake my death. A very convenient thing, I'm sure you will agree."

"And Bucky?"

"I'm sorry M. Rogers, it seems by giving him that mission, I facilitate their access to him, he was the one who, well, kill me I guess. He is once again The Winter Soldier."

Angry, Steve kicks the wall, leaving a dent in it.

"M. Pierce is a formidable adversary. He is the one who recruited me and as I thought their plan concerned the project Insight. Luckily, I'm just as paranoid as you M. Stark."

* * *

Flashes of images dances before his eyes. A boy who became a man, a woman with warm hugs and apple perfume, a man with calluses hands teaching him. It makes him dizzy, but he stays silent. He doesn't know why, should he tell, they would make him better, but… no he wants to have it, it's important. He knows them.

So he doesn't say anything. He stays in control, at least before they eyes, and performs as usual, as is expected of him but when he finds himself alone or between orders, he tries his hardest to remember, to put names on these people.

The man is the hardest and also the easiest, he comes naturally to his mind, but he still can't remember his name. This is why, when he is finally left alone, without guards or camera, he acts.

* * *

_He stops. He can't breathe. _

_He is stuck inside his nightmare. _

_The tank is full. _

_Full and alive._

_Shakily he moves as if to touch the body submerged. _

_To feel it. _

_To know that he isn't in a dream. _

_His senses, so developed, are not helping him this time. _

_He can't hear any heartbeat._

**X**

**X**

**X**

**To be continued…. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 : Broken SHIELD**

XX

_He searches around the tank and find the evacuation button. _

_He pushes it and the tank empty itself. _

_Finally he can touch her; tenderly he removes the needles in her body. _

_He still can't hear any heartbeat. _

_He removes her from the tank and put her on the ground, then performs CPR. The third time is the charm; her heart beats again, slowly but strongly. _

_She doesn't wake. _

* * *

Pierce is savoring his victory, in his opinion; none of the Avengers and co will be able to stop them. Soon, the World will be at their feet.

As it would have been years ago without Captain America intervention.

The High Council, his "bosses" at S.H.I.E.L.D. are all there before him, physically at last!

And like a virtuoso Maestro, He plays them.

He smirks as they all put the biometric analyzer.

Now everything is ready.

XXXXXXX

Sam and Steve are running full speed towards the Stark plane, Natasha runs ahead of them.

"Captain! How will I recognized the good ones from the bad ones?" suddenly asks Sam to Steve.

"The bad ones will fire at you!"

XXXX

She is in England, just recovered from the Dark Elves, the Ether and terrible loses – Thor's mother and Brother – when the World turn again.

Eric, Thor and Jane watch as the Avengers – without one of course – goes head to head with agents of SHIELD.

Her phone buzz, Pepper is calling her.

"What is happening out there, Pepper?"

"Hydra. Where are you?"

"In England still. Hydra what?"

"I will be there soon, do not trust any agents of shield! Do you understand Jane? Not anyone!"

"Okay okay"

"Good. Stay there!"

XXXX

Not even three hours later, Pepper is there, and they all go to the Avengers Tower.

Pepper did not say a word in the plane; she kept looking around, and at her phone.

Thor and her exchanges glances, Eric and their new assistant Yann, are silently playing poker in the back.

"Pepper, what is happening? Why are they all there battling? And where is Bruce?"

"JARVIS? What is the situation?" Pepper asks, not even trying to pay Jane and Co. some attention.

"The tower is still in lock down mode, two teams of twenty men tried to enter by force, the Hulk made sure that they regret it, Miss Potts. Sir has also tried to reach you, they are going in and Sir would like if you could manually activate the reserve armor."

"Thanks!"

With that, Pepper took out her private netbook and goes to work.

"Mister Odinson, Sir would very much like if you could give them assistance with their enemy."

XXXXXXXX

"Tony, can't you neutralize them at distance?"

"Captain, I may be a GENIUS, but even I will need some TIME to hack them!"

"What do you need?"

"To go to their system, like physically in!"

"Alright" whispered to himself Steve then "Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon clear us a path!"

"OH shiiitttt" screams Tony as Steve grabs him and jumps from the Stark plane.

* * *

_Hesitant to bring her pain, he carefully takes her in his arms. _

_Once gathered, he and his precious cargo went to go out. _

_Her breath is slow, silent. If he hadn't put her head on his shoulder, he wouldn't know she is breathing. _

_He goes back to the first and very imposing office. _

_He had gathered Intel – like tape and paper – about what was happening here, he hopes that it will help him with her. He takes it, and finally, they escape this hell. _

* * *

Thunder is heard then felt deep inside their bones.

Then the sky is illuminated by lightening.

Hawkeye cheers.

Thor has joins them.

With new vigor they attack the Helicarriors.

Steve and Tony are already inside, trying to hack and corrupt the program.

* * *

_Tenderly, he places her on the back seat of his jeep. _

_Careful not to hurt her head or any of her limbs. _

_He covers her with a blanket before going to his seat. _

_Then he drives to the farthest city to this lab. _

_He has no desire to tempt fate. _

* * *

Hulk is having fun.

Smashing the puny humans that try to go passed him.

He snorts.

Didn't they know that Hulk is the strongest?

"Hulk SMASH!"

XXXXXXXXX

"Come on, Come on!" talks softly and frustratingly Tony to his electronic system. While corrupting the data for the Insight program, he is downloading all their data about hydra agents and location. They will need to act fast after that, no doubt Hydra will relocate every agents to new bases or eliminate them.

_Not gonna happen fuckers!_ He thinks viciously. He may not have had the best relationship with his father – read disastrous – but S.H.I.E.L.D. and Steve had been is "babies" as J.A.R.V.I.S and Iron Man is his, it's his heritage to the World. No way is he gonna let it shattered.

"Sir, Armor in approach."

"Yess!"

He takes a deep breath and let himself fall from the satellite, onto the sea. His Armor is there to recuperate him.

Only when he wears it, can he admit that Iron Man is part of him, and he can't give it up.

Not even for love.

XXXXXXXXX

Agent 13 is panicking.

Everything is going to hell.

Agents are killing each other.

She is still reeling from the news.

Hydra. They had been working for Hydra without even suspecting anything.

Still; she steels herself and acts.

Guns out she fires at the strike force.

No way will she be killed without at least trying to fight!

XXXXXXXXX

"Huh Cap, I think this buddy is for you!"

Steve turns where Tony is looking.

Bucky is there. In full Winter Soldier attire.

He swallows and with a nod to Iron Man, goes.

XXXXXXXXXX

Maria is tapping full speed on the computer in Alexander Pierce office, overriding every password accesses to go straight to the record.

Every data related to Hydra is lunched on the Internet. Every mission ordered by Pierce and the council also. She destroys everything about the agents she knows are trustful (Widow, Hawkeye, Coulson, May, etc.).

No more secrets.

She looks at Pierce, still drinking his champagne, gun pointed towards him by the other council member.

He looks calm.

Not for long as Fury finally makes his appearance.

XXXXXXXXXX

They exchange blow for blow.

They do not play around, they aim to hurt.

"Bucky" Captain America says every time he can speak.

An explosion separates them, Winter Soldier returns to his primary target, he jumps into an helicopter and fly away to the first Helicarrier.

"Hey Sam? Can you drop me off?"

"Roger! Anytime!"

Steve jumps from the Helicarrier as a rocket launcher fire at him.

"Now!" he says as he falls.

Sam manages to catch him by the arm a few moments later; with a cry he gives his wings more strength before dropping to the first Helicarrier.

"Didn't think you were so heavy!" gasps Sam as they walk together.

"Too hearty your breakfast" is Steve come back before Winter Soldier attacks.

XXXXXXXX

"Secured" calls Natasha as she connects her electronic card in the core-system of the third Helicarrier.

A few minutes later its Sam who called "Secured" as the Second Helicarrier is connected.

Thor and Hawkeye take care of Hydra Agents with the help of the still loyal agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. present on the base, while Tony protects them from missile.

* * *

_He finds a motel, carries her inside and closes the door. _

_He calls the reception and asks for two hearty meals. _

_He's not sure if he will eat it, but with his metabolism better safe than sorry. _

_He turns around, towards the woman when he hears her heartbeat accelerate. _

_He slowly goes onto his knees beside the bed. _

* * *

He knows that man with the red and blue shield.

Flashes explode behind his eyes.

He cries at the pain in his head make itself known.

He falls on the ground, near the core room.

"Bucky!" Again that nickname. He knows it.

"Bucky, you know me, it's me Steve!"

Yes, he knows him, little Stevy,

"You remember, Bucky, till the end…"

An explosion shook them.

But he knows.

Clarity returns to him.

"I'll be there for you." He finishes.

XXXX

A raspy and breathless voice called "Secured".

Bucky takes Steve on his back, and attempts to get the hell out of the Helicarrier.

XXXX

Maria and Fury exchange a glance.

The plan worked.

Project Insight is now null and void.

Now, they need to eliminate Pierce.

* * *

_She is gasping and moving slowly, as if she is fighting or reaching something or someone. _

"_Hey, hey, you're fine, you're fine" he says calmly, trying to soothe her. _

* * *

As she goes to take the electric charge to disable the biometric bomb.

Pierce falls dead on the ground.

XX

"Nat, did you do something?" Tony remarks incredulously as hydra's agents fall before them on the ground, dead.

XX

In America, dozens and dozens of people fall dead on the ground.

XX

"Coulson! What is happening?"

"No idea! But be careful!" he says to Skye than to May: "Go find Ward we can't let him go!" then he turns towards the gasping body of Simmons. "No no, come on come on you will be fine!"

* * *

_He smiles a little as her eyes open. _

_They are lovely green and suit her fine. _

"_Hey, its fine, you're safe. You're safe." He soothes her. "I'm Logan, who are you?"_

_Her answer came from a whisper, without his sense he wouldn't have heard her. _

"…_Cassandra…" _

* * *

Four hours later, Tony seriously considers this day to be "Resurrection day".

"Oh fucking fuck!"

"What the Hell!" gasps Clint, leaning on a very, deadly silent Natasha.

"Coulson" says Maria.

"Maria" Then He turns to Stark. "We need your doctor."

"What for? Do you need a little blood?" come his sarcastic reply.

"One of my agents has been shot." Says somberly Coulson. "And the one who shot him was also one of my team but a Hydra's agent."

Silence met his sentence.

"Alright, Zombie-Coulson, get him there! Oh and who are they?" Tony asks as he finally took in the two persons following Phil.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Four months later, everything has calmed down to reasonable level again.

All the Avengers are back to the Tower, with now Sam Wilson and Maria Hills as Tony assistant.

They have been hitting Hydra base with the help of team Coulson and the agents who decided to stay in the now clean S.H.I.E.L.D. under Fury commands – the ones Tony managed to get his hand on thanks to Insight- and are really tired.

And that is without counting on the still mysterious phenomenon that had plague America. And that no one can explain, not even Thor, who did ask his father and Heimdall.

As they come into the private living room, they stop dead in their track.

Jane, Eric, Pepper, Rodney and Bucky are there, waiting for them.

Unusual? Well no, but Jane is shaking, white as a ghost and leaning heavily on Pepper, who is in turn leaning against Eric and Bucky and Rodney are focused on one of his stark-pad.

"Okay who died?" Yes he is an asshole. Everyone knows it! Why does it still surprise people?

"Tony" shakily said Jane. "She… You… they…"

Tony is now seriously considering inventing a "Jane translator".

Thankfully, J.A.R.V.I.S. takes the matter in his skillful imaginaries hands.

"Sir, if you could please watch the TV screen."

"Okay, come on guys."

They all take their place, plus Coulson, Skye, Simmons, Fitz and May, who have decided to stay a bit in the tower to recuperate from this last assault.

Coulson turns white.

Steve clenches his hands tightly.

Natasha and Clint swore in Russian and Japanese.

Bruce turns a bit green before going to normal. But immediately he goes inside the kitchen to make some tea.

Thor is speechless. He is lost, taking Jane in his arms to try to find equilibrium again.

"J.A.R.V.I.S. tells them when it was tapped." Orders Rodney who still does not stop looking at the pad.

"The video was taken two days after Hydra was revealed. Four months ago."

On the screen, a city gas station, the scene is playing in repeat by the A.I.

A Black, non-descriptive Jeep is parking to be fuelled up, after a minute or two, a woman - average height, long braid hair, sporting street basket, a short and a tee-shirt - comes out. She taps the conductor door, then disappears inside the station.

Then a man comes out the same car, and the Avengers –minus Thor and Bruce – and the S.H.I.E.L.D agents recognized him. All could they not?

It's Wolverine.

An X-men.

A scary son-of-a-bitch.

And then, the woman comes back. And,

She,

Turns,

To,

The,

Camera.

And,

She,

Smiles.

And,

She,

Waves,

Hello.

"Hello Darcy." Faintly and whispering answers Steve.

* * *

"_Hello Cassandra, do you know what happened to you?"_

_She doesn't answer. She just looks at him. _

_Not through him, but inside him it seems. _

_Then she smiles beautifully. _

"_I'm awake." _

_X_

_X_

_X_

_**THE END.**_

_**To be continued, in the next part. **_


End file.
